This invention relates to targets and more particularly to archery targets.
A variety of materials have been suggested for use in archery targets, including straw, cardboard and foam plastic materials. By and large, the arrows were virtually limited to arrows with steel field tips rather than arrows with broad head tips typically used for hunting. This is because the target damaged the broad head tip or the target was easily damaged by the broad head tip and could not be used for any extensive length of time before replacement and/or repair. Typically, archery targets made of foam plastic material deteriorated rapidly during use so that the target had to be frequently replaced or repaired. Exemplary archery targets that use foam plastic materials are disclosed in Lerman U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,419; Perrine, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,288; Stewart U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,261 and Carlin U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,434.
Lerman U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,419 discloses a laminated backboard comprising a corrugated ply to which an outer cardboard ply is connected with a resilient foam polyurethane pad being secured to the outer cardboard ply. The resilient foam polyurethane pad has a transverse width which is slightly greater than the length of the shank of the dart.
Perrine, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,288 discloses an archery target comprising a rectangular parallelepiped constructed from a plastic foam material.
Stewart U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,261 discloses an archery target comprising three separate layers constituting a first front layer of expanded polyethylene, a second intermediate layer of relatively lightweight expanded polystyrene and a third rear layer of expanded polyethylene. Both the first and third layers are described as having a substantial thickness with the capacity to close air holes therethrough with the expanded polystyrene layer being substantially thicker and lighter than either of the layers of expanded polyethylene.
Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,444 discloses an archery target comprising a plurality of membranes which are resilient and tear resistant with the membranes having different coefficients of friction on their front and rear surfaces. The surface of relatively high friction is on the face toward the front or face of the target and the low friction surface is on the backside of the membrane, thereby providing greater frictional resistance during penetration of the arrow as compared with the frictional resistance during withdrawal of the arrow.
Schlotter et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,452 discloses an archery target comprising a rear chamber which is filled with a relatively soft, resilient material which is selected from the group consisting of urethane and sponge rubber.
McKenzie et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,082 discloses a three-dimensional archery target utilizing a replaceable target segment comprising a lightweight, semi-rigid, tangle-free and nonhealing foam material having a relatively high density in combination with first and second body segments which have a relatively lower density in order to enable the replaceable target segment to withstand the impact of arrows for a longer period.
Carlin U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,434 discloses an archery target comprising a foamed plastic core.
Despite the variety of attempts to provide an archery target for use over any reasonably extended period by archers employing broad head hunting arrows, there remains a need for a target which not only can effectively absorb the energy of the projectile but also permits ready withdrawal of the projectile from the target and which has a reasonable period of use before it must be replaced. In addition, it is preferred that the target will absorb the arrow's energy while retaining the projectile within the body of the target, for example, before the broad head tip and a portion of the shaft passes entirely through the target body.